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<br />Introduction <br />The Lands Legacy program, adopted by Orange County in April 2000, is initiated each year <br />by the creation of an Annual Action Plan. The Annual Action Plan guides Lands Legacy <br />acquisitions and land protection activities for the specified fiscal year. <br />The process begins in August of each year, with staff identifying potential projects and <br />asking for initial guidance. Staff then meets with advisory boards for their input on <br />development of priorities for the coming year. Using the advisory board recommendations, a <br />draft Plan is prepared for distribution to the Board of Commissioners at their annual goal- <br />setting retreat. The Annual Action Plan is then finalized concurrent with the CIP process <br />each spring. (Note; For this fiscal year, the Annua/Action P/an was withhe/d until decisions <br />about the CIP and bond sales were made, since these direct/y impact the Action P/and <br />The past several months have seen a number of projects come to fruition, headed by the <br />receipt of a $784,155 grant from the USDA Farmland Protection Program in September. The <br />following is a draft Annual Action Plan for our current fiscal year 2002-2003 (please see note <br />above). The plan incorporates comments from advisory boards last year, coupled with the <br />continuation and completion of goals and objectives from the current action plan. The draft <br />Plan contains goals, a summary of advisory board comments, specific action objectives, and <br />a priority list of land acquisition and protection projects for the coming year. Also attached is <br />a list of accomplishments from the first half of the current fiscal year (2001-2002) and a <br />Performance Report for the first year of the Lands Legacy program (2000-01). <br />(Note: Plans to continue to pursue grant funding for County projects are implicit.) <br />1. Upper Eno and Upper New Hope Riparian Buffers: Protect riparian buffers in the <br />Upper Eno River watershed critical area (including additions to Seven Mile Creek <br />Preserve) and the Upper New Hope Creek watershed. <br />2. Faucette Mill Historic Area: Acquire conservation easements to protect properties <br />with historic structures and archaeological sites in the Faucette Mill area. <br />3. Farmland Conservation Easements: Work with willing sellers (and partner entities) <br />to acquire farmland conservation easements in priority watersheds, in conjunction with <br />federal Farmland Protection Program and NC Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. <br />4. New Park Sites: Identify locations for potential land acquisition to establish <br />community parks in the White Cross and North-Central Orange areas-- the two <br />remaining parks identified in the 1988 Master Recreation and Parks Plan. Reassess <br />park needs for the North-Central region given the current park development plans for <br />Cedar Grove Park and Little River Regional Park. <br />For the~neriodlu/y 1, 2002 -lone 30, 2003 <br />